LETTER TO MY FRIEND IN KIKONI: OPEN LETTER TO MY LECTURER

Dear lecturer,

I have always agreed that the remarkable story of success that is, Makerere University has been propelled by the energy and built by the hands and resolve of people who have always asked hard questions that we the very students asked the moment we decided to take up the challenge of this great nation when we choose to study at the ivory tower-such is what distinguishes a student from Makerere University from a student of any other university like kyambogo, Ndejje or Nkozi, this desire has enabled the university to roll out the first home-made vehicle in the name of Kiira EV, led to the development of cost effective sanitary pads in the name of MAKpads, and the beginning of a new era of un-precendented technological advancement in the country to mention but a few and just last semester celebrations rocked the University when it was commemorating its 90^th birthday and indeed we ask what will be spoken of this great hill at its 100^th anniversary.

It has been  two weeks now since we last saw you in class, I recall very well with profoundness that day you made a decision not to deliver lectures to our class because the class was way beyond what you are supposed to handle in terms of numbers, and further more because the administration had failed to avail you with the necessary facilities for laboratory study, by standing up and doing what many lecturers could not do or better still by walking where angels could not trod-to walk out on 140 students or more is hilarious and admirable, to me it shows that you are mindful about the quality of people that get trained through your hands, however attention is brought to you to reflect on the plight of the student that rightfully deserves this knowledge because they paid a penny or so for this education they badly need.

Whereas it would be unrealistic not to delve into the issues that prompted you into abandoning our class, I feel mention should be made of some of the likely causes of this problem.

Last year it is estimated that more than 40 students failed this course unit and were required to retake the course the next time it was offered which is this year, why do students really get retakes? Three reasons are extended to this argument, firstly that the students cannot comprehend the entails of the course unit; secondly that the lecturers are not good enough to be understood well by the students vis-à-vis the mode of dispensation or that the environment created is not convenient enough for such a course because I refuse to believe there could be such a thing as a hard course unit- a just cause to review the education status quo.

It should also be understood that innovations made right here in the College of Engineering, Design Art and Technology will one day impact on the life of people in great proportions, an engineering student who publishes a paper about the relevance of using rice husks as an additive in pavement construction could attract the attention of a certain road engineer who's working on a similar design in the Works Ministry and a professor who makes a breakthrough in developing geo-technical data could save hundreds from mudslides in Bududa and such is what the nation expects from us, infact everybody at Makerere University.

Therefore the hours you spend with us in class not only have the potential to improve the lives of students and their families but they also offer the nation a great opportunity to develop new ideas that will lead to creation of new jobs and development of this country as the motto states ‘we build for the nation’ and by getting to class, you're doing your nation a great honor

Think about what the nation was like only thirty years ago, when there were about 100 students in College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, then Faculty of Technology and there was only the old technology  building, back then, the big challenge was just to sit through class up to your final year and if you could graduate or not you would be assured of a job but the world has surely changed since then and today even a first class degree doesn't guarantee a job and as if that is not enough the cost of acquiring education here has risen by leaps and bounds.

In light of your concern I believe it is paramount for a student wishing to be a relevant engineer to acquire the necessary theoretical and near practical skills provided for by the university that way we will be sure that new opportunities will be created amidst enormous competition because Universities like kyambogo ,Ndejje and UCU are churning out more qualified and technically able engineering graduates who can compete directly with ease in this generation, the latter posses greater comparative advantage over the former and if we need Makerere University to stay on top, we'll need great commitment by the students, lecturers and every stake holder to better and improved theoretical education and practical training relevant for the demands of this generation.